It makes Robyn Stewart feel really good when bands decide to stop performing at BreakOut West.

Not that the executive director of the 15-year-old conference and music festival geared to showcasing Western Canadian musical talent hates seeing returnees, it just that this means the festival has done its job.

“Take a band like (Vancouver’s) Said the Whale, who are playing our kickoff concert on Thursday,” she says over the phone. “They’re quite successful at this point, far past the showcase stage, and that’s absolutely wonderful. They don’t need us anymore.”

For most people, BreakOut West is simply another festival, and a chance to see up-and-coming acts. For the bands, it’s as much an industry get-together as an opportunity to play, to connect with potential managers, labels and publicists who could help them with furthering their careers to the point where they don’t have to showcase.

This has caused a certain amount of controversy over the past few months as the Canadian Federation of Musicians objected to the festival’s longstanding policy of not paying most of the acts involved, with the festival billing itself as a showcasing opportunity.

The dispute has been ongoing since the spring, and it’s continued up until the festival start. The federation issued a news release Monday reiterating their grievances with BreakOut. Some musicians have stood with the federation, while others have signed on to showcase at the festival.

Stewart feels the release is somewhat misleading, but holds out hope the two organizations can eventually come to an agreement.

“Unfortunately, it won’t be done for this year, but we’ll still be focusing on what’s best for the musicians for this one.”

Along with Said the Whale, the festival portion of BreakOut West 2017 (which runs Thursday to Saturday) features performances from veteran bands such as Shout Out Out Out Out, Wet Secrets and Captain Tractor, along with a long list of local and regional up-and-comers, including alt-country darlings Altameda, Indigenous post-rockers nêhiyawak, rapper Arlo Maverick, and soul singer Nuela Charles. Performances take place at a number of different venues both north and south side, including the Jubilee Auditorium, where a concert of five children’s entertainers will be set up on Saturday afternoon.

The affiliated and concurrently running Western Canadian Music Awards sets up shop to deal out prizes and plaudits at the Dinwoodie Lounge on Thursday night, including a posthumous award to the much-beloved booking agent, publicist, manager, writer and sound engineer Kathy Kirby, who died in 2014.

Scenic Route to Alaska, 100 Mile House and Jay Gilday are among the contingent of Edmonton talent up for awards, along with metal act Striker and francophone singer-songwriter Ariane Mahrÿke Lemire.

Throughout the festival there will be conferences and panels, plus plenty of networking opportunities for musicians. Whether or not you agree that these opportunities make up for the festival’s lack of remuneration to most showcasing artists, it has helped a few people.

“Last year, we had (2017 Juno Award winning singer-songwriter) William Prince on opening night,” Stewart recalls. “Nobody knew who he was, but by the end of his showcase, people’s jaws had dropped. His manager tells us that the result of that show directly included monetary results by the end of the weekend, with an agency signing him up.”

Stewart also says Prince (who is up for Breakout Artist of the Year at the awards portion) is about to announce some exciting label news.

“He’s been touring nationally and internationally, and we’re incredibly happy with his success story. His manager says that it wouldn’t have happened without him playing to a room of talent buyers.”

BreakOut West

When: Wednesday, Sept. 13, to Sunday, Sept. 17.

Where: Various venues

Tickets: $20 festival wristbands are available Ticketfly, along with the $30 Kick-Off Concert on Thursday.

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